Introducing health informatics as an elective module in an information systems honours degree: Experiences from Rhodes university

Abstract

A priority within South Africa’s eHealth strategy is the development of skills needed to implement and support health information systems. In view of the time frames involved in creating and delivering new undergraduate curricula, a feasible short-term approach to capacity building is to equip Information Systems (IS) graduates with relevant knowledge of healthcare systems and eHealth technologies. The IS Department at Rhodes University introduced an elective module in Health Informatics within their one-year Honours program, aimed at preparing IS students for careers in eHealth. This paper outlines the module content and in-sights gained from student feedback.